A driver crashed his car on a snowy interstate in southern Minnesota Tuesday and died during a winter storm that blanketed much of Minnesota, authorities said.

From noon to 9 p.m., during the height of the snowfall across Minnesota, troopers reported 99 crashes. Along with the fatal wreck in southern Minnesota, there were four crashes resulting in nonfatal injuries, the patrol said.

There also were 119 instances of vehicles spinning out or going off the road and six semitrailer trucks that jackknifed, the patrol added.

The fatal wreck occurred about 4 p.m. Tuesday east of Blue Earth on westbound Interstate 90 in Faribault County, the State Patrol said.

Jason T. Harnack, 42, of Windom, Minn., was thrown from his car as it rolled into a ditch to the right, the patrol said. Harnack was not wearing a seat belt and died at the scene.

PAUL WALSH